A Witch to Love
by Priestesses of H.I.S.S
Summary: (Dash #9) After the war, the wizarding world was ravaged and broken. Needing some hope and a little magical boost, the Ministry offered different incentives for couples to have magical children and revitalize the populace. Hermione was not willing to be dragged into doing something she did not want. Instead she found a path that made her happy and brought a surprise along the way.
1. Chapter 1-A Witch is Born

**Greetings and Salutations!**

**Here is another little bit of fluffy goodness that the Hufflepuff in me decided needed to be written. My Coven has been dosing me with fae sprinkles that taste like strawberries and oranges and keeps me well stocked in 'Puff Pills' to insure that evil Dash stays buried until my next dark fic and they get all the sugary, fluffy happiness I can manage to write. My poor Slytherin is drowning in gooey goodness and she is thoroughly un-happy!**

**Hope you all enjoy this little drabble I had come to mind and take over. I must go try to do more of my Dramione now before Clawzer kills me!**

_***Throws story at you and runs off before Candy Claw can sniff me out and drag me back to my chains and the pages of her promised story***_

**Always**

**~Tempest**

**PS: I rated this M for innuendos and possible later scenes as I can add to this any time with snippets of their life.**

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Hermione woke to the gentle pull of a tiny hand on the sleeve of her night shirt. She didn't need to open her eyes...she already knew who it was and what they wanted. Wanting just a few more minutes of sleep, she pretended not to feel it and just like she knew would happen, that tiny hand attached to a tiny arm reached up to gently touch her face. With the reflexes of a war veteran, Hermione wrapped her arms around the little bundle of energy and dragged her into the bed and under the covers with her.

The squeal of delight that accompanied the empty protests made Hermione smile and as she snuggled into her daughter she couldn't help but be thankful to be here to hold her this morning and every morning since she had been born. She was a gift to her, a miracle she never thought she would have and one she would never take for granted.

After the war, her and Ron had given it a go and for a while they had been happy...well a while is relative they say. It lasted about three months before Molly Weasley had started to pressure them all to have children. The Ministry was talking about population declines due to the war and that the citizens needed to start bringing new magical children into the world. They were offering a nice amount for every child born over the next five years and Molly was determined her children would do their part and get their gold at the same time.

Hermione had not wanted to have a bushel full of children and had openly voiced her reasons to her boyfriend and his over bearing mother. The cold shoulder had followed and along with that came the snide remarks about a witch not knowing her place and what she was supposed to contribute to a wizard or the community. Feed up with Ron not standing up for her, Hermione had packed all of her things and left the burrow.

Using what little money she had after the reparation paid to Gringott's, Hermione got a room at the Three Broom Sticks. The very next day she had gone to St. Mungo's and applied for the blood replenishing program. The Ministry had noticed not only the lack of births but the loss of magical blood and bloodlines through the generation. In hopes of rectifying the situation, young witches were asked to come in and volunteer to be a mother to a bloodline that had been lost to their world.

In doing so, after conception and carrying the child to full term, the mother was given a portion of the bloodlines inheritance for her contribution to the dwindling or extinct family line. The more children she had for that bloodline, the more money she stood to gain. Of course Hermione was not in it just for the money or she would have had at least three. She wanted to help replenish the magical world after Voldemort almost destroyed it and she wanted to help in any way the Ministry deemed useful...but she did not want to be overrun or overwhelmed by too many children at once.

After she had filled out all the paper work and been given every available test, she had been pulled into a room with one of the specialist healers on staff. They had explained the entire process and how she would know within a few days if the first procedure had taken. She had a little damage from the dark magic that had been used on her that it might cause some touch and go but Healer Clawse had not been too overly worried about it.

After, she had been told that she could either do a random draw and see who she picked, or she could go through the book they had put together and see if one family appealed to her more than the other. She had asked to see the book and she was given a comfortable room to relax in as she looked through it. There had been several possible choices she had written down when she had turned the page and come face to face with someone she thought never to see again...Professor Snape.

She read over the Prince family line several times and was amazed that not only were they unimaginably rich so her child would want for nothing his or her entire life but every member recorded had gotten at least seven NEWTs while attending their chosen schools and had a seat on the Wizengamot until Eileen Prince, Professor Snape's mother, had run off with a muggle instead of marrying her chosen betrothed...one Lord Russel Goyle...Hermione almost couldn't blame her.

Turning the page to continue, she had only gotten two more families in before she turned back and just stared at the severe face of her former Potions Professor. He had always been so stern. He gave very little in the idea of affection or praise but his mind had been brilliant and she had been in awe of it her entire time at Hogwarts. When he had killed Dumbledore in their sixth year, she had been devastated to think she had been so wrong about him. Of course that had all changed again when he had shown Harry his memories.

They had gone back for his body only to find scorch marks and ash left. They were all pretty sure a Death Eater had come back after Harry proclaimed Snape as always being Dumbledore's man and burned his body to ash to make sure he was not able to be buried next to his mentor. Realizing it didn't matter how many more she read, Hermione closed the book and summoned the healer. After announcing her chose, the healer had not even blinked but had gotten the necessary paper work filed.

As a last precaution she had made sure the 'specimen' was Severus Snape's and Healer Clawse had assured her that he had been the last of the Prince line and the only one alive when they had started rounding up new batches for their archives. It turned out magical 'sperm' banks did not last as long as muggle and due to all the magic used they were unable to switch to the muggle way. One stray spell and all would be lost.

A week later she had gone in for her first insemination appointment and had walked out hopeful. Just as Healer Clawse had anticipated, she had conceived right away and once the healer had learned she was staying at an Inn, she had taken her to a nice cottage on the outskirts of a small wizarding town about a day from Hogsmeade and had let her rent it for a really decent price. Hermione had gotten a job at the local book store and had spent her days eating, exercising, trying to be as healthy as possible, and reading any book she could get her hands on for her own pleasure.

Ron and Harry had found her there six months later and after realizing what they were seeing, Ron had blown his supposedly 'I forgive you' persona right to hell. He had yelled and berated her until Harry had to step in to keep him from trying to hex her. Of course the shop owner had been only a few steps behind them and she was a very old and fierce witch who had seen several wars in her home land as well before moving to England. Hermione almost wished he had pulled his wand. She knew Madam Shaecia would have had them both hexed and trussed up for the local Aurors before they could have uttered a single syllable to a spell.

Finally losing her own temper, Hermione had reminded Ron in a very cold manner that she had not been opposed to the idea...only the amount of children his mother and he were trying to push her to have. She had not been ready for a family so large and hadn't been sure if she ever would be. He had not even tried to understand her point of view and had sided and then attacked her alongside his bitch of a mother. The shock on Harry's face proved they had kept that bit of information from her and with a sour look he had turned on Ron.

The last she had seen them, Harry had been firing hexes as they both ran down the street, Ron trying to dodge as many as he could to reach a safe distance to port key home. She had not seen Ron again and had only seen Harry twice since that moment. Of course Ron had opened his big, fat mouth and she was soon surrounded all the time by reports from the Daily Prophet and other less known publications trying to find out who the lucky father was, was she planning to get married, and once they knew she was not and that she had gone to St. Mungo's, they wanted to know what family she had chosen to save.

She told them nothing more and after a while they got tired of her practiced silence...or maybe just got bored. She didn't know and didn't care. Alone again she went right back to her original routine and right up to her due date she stayed round and glowing. The kismet of it all was that her daughter, Obsidian Sevora Prince had been born a healthy 7lbs, 4ozs on May 2, 1999...the exact same day one year later that her own father had died. She was a sweet baby who had given Hermione very little trouble at all.

As she grew, her hair had turned to the same midnight black as her father's and due to his genetics her hair had been soft ringlets instead of frizzy, tight curls. Her eyes had slowly changed from the sparkling blue she had been born with to a brown so dark it matched her first name...again just like her father's. The shape of her face, her features though, were very much her mother's. She had a bright smile, a pert little button nose, and sadly as they started to come in the same little buck teeth. Thankfully Hermione knew there was a spell to fix that once she was older.

Sevora...what Hermione preferred to call her leaving her more formal name for more formal occasions, was an inquisitive child. Once she began to walk she wanted to see and touch, taste and smell, and know about every single little thing. Hermione found her constant questions endearing at times and utterly frustrating at others and would catch herself looking up to the sky on many an occasions to lament with Severus that she now understood his irritation with her endlessly waving hand.

The Prince family had been unreasonably wealthy and she had not really bothered to look at the exact amount of compensation she would be given per child. When the goblins at Gringotts had asked her to come in to sigh papers for the transfer she had almost fainted at the amount of zeros following the one. Hermione was one of the richest if not richest non-pureblood, single mothers in the history of ever in Wizarding Britain. Not only did Sevora not have to worry about her future...neither did Hermione. Though sitting idle really was not her thing.

She ended up buying the cottage from Healer Clawse for twice the value just to get the healer to sell it. She had also managed on Sevora's second birthday to buy her the bookstore as a future investment and because she adored the place. Madam Shaecia had pretended to hum and haw at her about selling it but ultimately had happily signed it over to Sevora with Hermione as the care taker until the little girl was old enough to take possession of it herself.

Just as she knew would happen, her world had been turned upside down again when the prophet...specifically Rita fucking Skeeter...had managed to bribe the right nurse at St. Mungo's for the information on her daughter's patronage. Once again her and Sevora were overrun by reporters who wanted to know why she had chosen the Prince family, did she have some secret torrid love affair with her ex-professor seeing as she was a muggleborn as well, was it all about the money?

In the end she had gotten a lawyer and had sued not only the Prophet for invasion into matters that were private but she had an investigation done and as soon as the culprit was found, she had ruined the girl's life. No one disrupted or ruined her daughter's days and the moment one flash had made her sweet baby cry...Hermione had shown everyone why she had been a Lion and not a Raven.

That had been a little over a year ago. Her daughter was now a very vibrant and still unfailing little know-it-all and though their lives were much more peaceful from outsiders...there was not a day the little girl did not fill her hours with chatter and questions. The only times Hermione had that were ever quiet were when she was eating, sleeping, or if she was listening to Hermione read a story or telling her a story about her father.

As far as Sevora was concerned...her father was better and more important than Merlin himself. Hermione had gotten the picture from the hospital and now had it framed and sitting beside her daughter's bed so she had a memento of what her father looked like as well. When she thought no one was looking she would scrunch up her face and try to look stern and severe the way Severus used to. It always brought a pang to her heart.

Thinking of her daughter seemed to bring the little monster back to life as she finally pulled away from her mother's arms and flew out from under the covers like a tornado. Jumping up and down she began to hum the theme music to the Powerpuff Girls, her new favorite show at the moment. Hermione pulled her head from her past musings and smiled up at her raven haired daughter. Knowing she had gotten all the sleep she was going to be allowed to have, she sat up, rubbed her eyes, and swung her feet over the side of the bed.

With a very loud 'YAY' that made Hermione wince, her daughter jumped off her bed and ran down the hall, her persona of the lead Powerpuff girl fully in play. Her robe, which Hermione had charmed to billow 'just like daddy's did', flapped behind her in the same manner as when her Professor would be moving quickly to get somewhere. Her amusement rose at that, remembering the first time Harry had seen Sevora turn and walk away and gapped at Hermione for it.

"She billows like he did. You helped her billow like he did Hermione!"

Her laugh had brought Sevora peeking out of her room and Hermione looked back at her daughter with a kindred bit of mischief.

"Uncle Harry says you billow just like your father did."

Her little girl had stood to her full height, crossed her arms one over the other very pointedly and looked down her nose as best she could while having to look up at her favorite uncle.

"Ob-viously."

That one word had sent Hermione into a giggle fit that had lasted almost ten minutes as Harry had first gapped with wide eyes at her at the time two year old daughter and then broken into helpless laughter himself. Sevora had given a very pleased with herself smile and had gone back into her play room to continue with whatever game she had going that day.

Shaking her head again as she padded down the stairs to get a cup of coffee, Hermione peeked into the playroom to see Sevora setting up her dolls for another grand adventure of Princepuff girls to the rescue. She was pretty sure that Severus was hexing her liberally from whatever afterlife wizards went to for his only daughter going by anything with Puff in the name.

Taking her first sip she had to press her lips closed as a knock on her front door startled her. Tiny little footsteps ran down the hall and sliding the cup to the counter, not caring if it made a mess, Hermione went through the other door into the living room and caught her little menace up off the ground by the waist as she tried to reach for the door.

"What have I told you about answering the door Sevora?"

"It might be a stranger and strangers are not safe so I should not answer the door without you being with me when I do."

Reaching for the door handle, her wards telling her that there was no threat coming off of whoever was at her front door, she met her daughter's eyes.

"Then why were you running for the door?"

Her daughter pouted up at her, the shine of crocodile tears beginning to build in her eyes. Pulling the door slowly open, her eyes still focused on her little girl, Hermione did not notice the darkly dressed figure whose own eyes widen in shock at the sight before him.

"You will stop that this instant Obsidian Sevora Prince. I swear its genetic...you get more and more like your Slytherin father every day!"

"I hope you are not attempting to turn my only daughter into a rash and impulsive Gryffindor Miss Granger."

The shock was like ice water and with reflexes she thought she had let go of over the years Hermione had Sevora down and behind the magically shielded door, the code word for danger falling from lips and her daughter's tiny feet taking off in the opposite direction as she summoned her wand to her hand and had it pointed at the imposters face, her own face burning in seething rage.

"I don't know who you are or what you think you are doing but trying to impersonate Severus Snape was your first mistake. The second was showing up on my doorstep."

His hands held out to the side in a placating manner the Snape imposter let his eyes run down her half covered body, his eyebrow raising in appreciation of the view before he met her furious eyes again.

"In your third year at Hogwarts you followed Sirius Black in his animagus form into the tunnel at the base of the Whomping Willow. I followed behind trying to catch him and you and Potter knocked me unconscious to help him escape...or at least try to. I also stepped in front of you to try to protect you all from the werewolf form of Remus Lupin. I supposedly died in the boat house on the night of the final battle by a slice of Voldemorts magic to the throat and then bites from Nagini. I gave Potter my memories so he knew that he was expected to die because he was a horcrux...an accidental one."

"I also know the three of you came back to get my body only to find ashes...ashes I left after I killed the Death Eater who did in fact try to attack me as I was healing myself. The two dunderheads left without much thought but you kneeled down to say a pray and you found the item I left buried in the ashes...my grandfather's ring...an heirloom that you at this very moment are wearing around your neck for safe keeping I am assuming for our daughter."

Crossing his arms in that pointed way of his he raised his eyebrow again in a more sarcastic manner.

"Do I pass your tests Miss Granger or would you like me to take some truth serum too so that you are completely convinced."

She felt the blood leave her head and the last thing she saw before the world went black was his startled eyes and his arms reaching to try to catch her.


	2. Chapter 2-A Family is Made

***Tiptoes by and slips the second chapter in to keep you all appeased as I continue to hide from the Clawwwwwwww***

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Hermione came awake not slowly like they showed in the movies, but quickly with a gasp, sitting up so fast she made her head spin. Gentle but firm hands settled on her back to help steady her and turning her head she met the same almost black eyes of her daughter…only these were not in the sweet face of her little magic bean but set in the grown and slightly less severe face of Severus Snape. Opening her mouth to speak she was only able to get a cracked vowel out before she had to try to swallow around her suddenly dry throat.

Reaching back he handed her a cool glass of water and after a few sips he took it back from her and placed it on the coffee table, sitting on the couch just as she turned so she could plant her feet on the floor. Shifting her body slightly to the side, she truly took in his appearance for the first time since she had opened her door.

He still wore all black but now it was a black button up shirt, the sleeves rolled up a couple of times to expose strong wrists and pale skin. He had on black slacks just like the ones he used to wear and a pair of fairly new dragon hide boots. All in all, with his hair cleaned and hanging around his face he looked a little like a pirate. All he was missing was the hat, the sword, and maybe some crazy things strewn through his locks.

Shaking her head to dislodge that insanity, blaming her daughter and her obsession with pirate books lately, Hermione gathered her wits so that she could actually ask what she needed to ask…beginning with the most important question.

"How are you alive?"

She had meant for her voice to come out assured and strong but her tone was more awed and a little wary. Frustrated inside that even now she couldn't speak to this formidable man as an equal but still sounded like one of his star-struck students she resolved to take control of her tendencies any minute now…

"Let's just say I was pretty sure that Voldemort was going to try to kill me once he realized the wand was not working for him. He did not possess all the information and as you know he thought I was the one in control of the wand's loyalties. I had already brewed the antidote to Nagini's poison, as well as all other potions I would need to survive everything except an Avada."

"When Lucius Malfoy informed me I was being summoned I knew I was at _that_ moment. Taking pointers from the muggle world, I had made magical potion 'pills' that I could swallow that would release with just a little magical push from me. I made sure to swallow the antidote, blood replenishing, and a few healing potions and went to basically meet my doom. You were witness to the next part and right after you three left, I activated the 'pills' and let the magic do its work."

"I was still pretty weak and though I had healed my throat with Essence of Dittany, I was in the process of finishing the healing when one of his unimportant lackeys came rushing in on his little mission. Seeing me sitting up and alive must have been a shock to him because even in my weakened state I was able to take him out with little effort. Afterwards, I decided he would make the perfect cover-up so I burned him to ash using fiend fire and left the grounds with no one the wiser."

"I knew I would need to give something to prove it was me so I left my Grandfather's ring. I came back to get it only to find all of you there. I figured I had waited long enough that it would be clear. Only the swotty little Gryffindor would think to search for items buried in ash. You can be quite a pain sometimes Miss Granger. Resigning myself that I would never see the ring again, I left before I could be discovered. So now you know."

Nodding her head, chewing on her lip as she let his story process, she stood and with a worried look she took a few steps away from him.

"Why…why are you here?"

Crossing her arms over her stomach, her position screaming worried defense to Severus, she turned to meet his eyes.

"You have nothing to fear Miss Granger. I am well aware of the wizarding laws regarding parent's rights and I assure you even if they knew I was still alive I would never do something that despicable to the mother of my child…no matter how angry or upset I was. Though to be fair, I am not in any way upset with you. To be honest, I have no intention of ever letting the world know I am still alive. Let them praise and sing songs of celebration to a memory for all I care. I did however see an article a few weeks ago of the all grown up Hermione Granger, brains of the golden trio, beloved princess of Gryffindor. The article came with a lovely picture of said grown witch and her whimsical daughter Sevora Prince."

Standing as well and walking over to her, he took her arms in his hands and pulled them away from her body. Watching her relax as they fell to her side, he brushed his thumb along her cheek before giving her a soft smile.

"Of course the name alone required that I read the article and when I realized what you had chosen to do for my family line…even if I was never accepted as part of that side of things…I had to let go of my resentment of you. That article, that picture, showed me that even if the rest of the world are a bunch of sycophants willing to blindly worship an ideal without real understanding, you were not. I heard your prayer, your well wishes and hopes for my…afterlife…and I realized as I looked at the joyful smile on my daughter's face that you had meant it. And I suddenly had the overwhelming urge to find you and ask you…beg you if I needed to…to allow me to share in that joy and warmth that she seems to…radiate."

Hearing his words and seeing the sincerity of his request, his need, in his eyes Hermione could do nothing else but give him what he desired as her heart would not allow for any other outcome. Motioning for him to follow her, Hermione walked through the kitchen and down the hallway to Sevora's playroom. Leaning against the door frame with him looming right behind her she cleared her throat and in a very clear and precise voice she spoke.

"Turn to page three hundred and ninety-four."

The noise he made was between a surprised gasp and a choked snort and as a door appeared on the wall right next to her bed, Hermione stepped into the room so she was the first thing her daughter saw.

Bouncing out of her panic room, Sevora gave her mother a brilliant smile and twirled so she billowed as she skipped towards her.

"Did I do good Mama? I hid just like you said and even though I wanted to peek out and see what I was hiding from I stayed put and quiet just like you taught me."

Before Hermione had a chance to speak, a deep baritone rolled across the room and startled her little magical bean into squeaking.

"Miss…Granger…why do her robes…billow?"

The tone sounded almost like a reprimand and knowing her daughter took great offense to anyone talking about things that dealt with her hero of a father, Hermione closed her eyes knowing she had no control over the next few minutes.

With her face scrunched up in irritation, Sevora billowed with great aplomb towards her and past her, her words spewing from her mouth in pure Gryffindor form before her eyes landed on who she was speaking with.

"My robes billow because I love my daddy and I want to be just like him and he had billow-y robes so mama gave me billow-y robes!"

She had stopped a few feet away from Severus with her temper written as plain as day across her face before his face registered in her sweet little heart. With that came a shuttered breath, her arms falling from her hips as her anger melted away.

"Daddy?"

Severus' eyes snapped up to meet Hermione's with the biggest amount of emotion and confusion she had ever seen from him. Stepping to the side just a hair she gestured to the large picture sitting in pride of place on the night stand by their little girl's bed.

"I was never ashamed of who her father is…why wouldn't she know who you are?"

Walking forward with halting steps, Sevora looked up at him, her little hand tugging on his pants leg until with a healthy dose of fear in his eyes he bent down until he was level with her. Those same tiny hands that had touched her face just a little while ago traced gentle exploratory paths along the stricken face of her father and as she realized he was solid and real, she cried out in joy, the sound so loud and high pitched that it made both Hermione and Severus wince. Throwing her arms around his neck, she hugged him like any other child would, with absolute love and abandon.

Hermione had to bow her head as her eyes filled with tears. Her daughter's jumbled words of excitement were lost behind the sobs of happiness that had overtaken her and as Severus wrapped his arms around her, dropping fully to his knees so he could hold her close, Hermione couldn't help her own from falling fast and hot down her cheeks.

She was both surprised and impressed when Severus lifted her little girl into his arms, his hands holding her just right as she wrapped her little legs around his waist…one on her lower back and the other gently on her head, soothing her by rubbing her hair. He buried his nose in her locks and took a deep breath just as Hermione tended to do every single day and it took her own breath away. She had never imagined what seeing the formidable ex-spy holding her daughter would do to her…how could she when she had thought him dead.

Hermione allowed her daughter a few minutes before she moved to intervene.

"Sevora…baby…daddy is not a spring chicken anymore either honey and being on the ground that way can't possibly feel good. How about we go wash your face real fast and let him up and then you and he can sit on your nice comfy couch and talk…that sound good?"

The words sinking in as Severus looked up at her, his arms contracting around her slightly like he was afraid to let her go, Sevora pulled back and wiped her face with her hands as she nodded at Hermione.

"You'll be here when I get back right daddy?"

She could almost see his heart melting as Sevora's eyes, which matched his perfectly, looked at him filled with such hope and love. She knew the kid could melt her resolve every time with that damned look. They were going to be in so much trouble as she got older.

"Yes Sevora…I will be right here."

Satisfied that he wasn't going anywhere she skirted past him and ran with a loud 'whoop' down the hallway to the bathroom. Hermione took Severus' larger hands in hers and helped pull him off the ground, his knee popping as he straightened.

"No worries…mine does that too and I'm almost twenty years your junior. We will blame war and happily leave it at that."

She smiled at him as she chuckled, patted his chest as she past, and headed down the hall to help her daughter. Making sure her eyes were soothed with the cool water and that her face, hands, and shirt were dry, Hermione watched as she took off at neck breaking speeds only to tumble into her room when trying to turn and then laugh at herself as she got up.

She heard her daughter's excited voice start to babble away and with an amused smile, her thoughts going back once more to all the times she had lamented to a dead person who in fact was not dead, she turned and headed for the kitchen again to make some new coffee and cook some breakfast for her growing sprog and her house guest.

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Several hours passed as her daughter's voice never slowed. She had taken them breakfast and at the eyebrow of questioning as she was now calling it, she had waved Severus off and let them have their time. She had spent the morning reading a book she had yet to get to and had enjoyed having the time to herself. At lunch time she had taken them hot sandwiches and chips and she had sat on the floor and listened to Sevora retelling a story about catching one of the garden gnomes and how she had made friends with it and now all the little gnomes stayed in their section of the garden and didn't bother 'Mama's plants' anymore.

At his look Hermione had just nodded her head, her smile bright and proud as Sevora moved from that to telling him all about the family of kneazles she had rescued who lived in the shed and then about the pigmy puff that she had found without a mama or daddy and brought it home. Knowing that the list of magical and non-magical animals she had rescued, befriended, and saved that now lived on their property was quite a long list, Hermione got up. Giving her baby a kiss on her head which caused her to pause to _love you mama_ before she continued, Hermione took the plates to the kitchen to clean and decided a nice long soak would do since it seemed her day was free at the moment.

Indulging in the warm water and fragrant scent of her favorite blue orchid bath wash, Hermione soaked her tired muscles, keeping her hair up in a clip and out of the water, before deciding it was time to try to convince her daughter to take a nap. She had a feeling the battle of wills was going to be epic today with Severus here but she also knew if the little terror did not sleep she would be impossible to deal with by six this evening.

Making her way back down the hall she realized all was quiet and with a curious face she gingerly stepped along the floor until she could peek into the play room. There on the couch was her sweet baby girl wrapped around her father, his long frame stretched out on the couch which it seemed had been extended. One small arm was wrapped across his chest and the other was up near his face, her fingers wrapped gently around his hair. For his part Severus looked like he had fallen asleep as well, his inner arm wrapped around Sevora to keep her tucked close to him and the other under his head.

Silencing her footfalls, Hermione crossed the room and took the blanket off the back of the couch. Draping it over the two she couldn't help but smile at the sight. It was one she knew would be used for a patronus from here on out. Leaning down and brushing a lock of hair from Sevora's face she placed a gentle kiss to her cheek. Impulsively she leaned over to place another gentle kiss on Severus' forehead. Starting to lean back she had not expected to have his black eyes boring into her with an intensity she wasn't able to decipher…though being that he used to be a spy she probably should have.

Frozen by that gaze, holding her balance with one hand on the back of the couch and the other on the arm, she was shocked even more when he moved the arm under his head to reach up. Running his fingers in a gentle caress along the back of her neck he pulled her the last bit of space back down and touched her lips carefully to his, the warm skin sending a shiver down her spine. She wasn't sure if he meant it to be a small peck of thanks or something more but having been alone with only her daughter and untouched for so many years…Hermione's mind blanked and with no prompting at all she opened her mouth and ran her tongue along his bottom lip.

His answering jolt she felt along his arm as his grip tightened and he pulled her closer, their lips messing together as his tongue came out to play with hers, the rhythm a slow and leisurely exploration. The small sigh from her daughter brought her back to her mind and pulling away slowly she blinked glazed eyes as she met his again and though the intensity was no less than before, there was a spark of curiosity and unanswered questions there now as well. Giving him a soft smile and checking to make sure Sevora was okay Hermione stood up and left father and daughter to enjoy an afternoon nap together.

* * *

Both father and daughter had emerged a few hours later, both with sleep tousled hair and both with the same almost pouty look to them. She could not help but giggle and at their disgruntled looks she had flat out lost herself to laughter.

Rounding them both up a cup of tea and juice respectively and casting a charm to not only settle her daughter's hair but Severus' too, she had asked if Sevora wanted to go down to the creek to feed the ducks that had decided to stay on their property as well. Another one of her daughter's creature salvation stories that she now felt they had to take care of.

"Do you want to go see my ducks daddy?"

The very word seemed to have some drugging effect on her ex-potions professor as he melted right into his chair and give her a gentle smile and a nod. In a voice filled with mirth and a hint of conspiracy, Hermione mumbled to herself as she walked away, keeping her voice pitched just so-so that Severus would hear.

"Sevora Prince…tamer of wild beasts and savage potions masters the world over."

His mock glare only caused her to laugh once more. Going through the living room and into her stock room she bent over to scoop out some duck food from the large bag she had recently bought when strong hands pulled her back by the waist. She lifted up just in time to be spun around and before she had time to speak, protest, or make any sort of noise at all her lips were once again covered with his thinner ones.

He wasted no time at all delving between her lips to tease his tongue along hers and with a moan that she had to smother encase her daughter might hear, Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with abandon. His hands were warm and as he splayed his fingers wide she realized how much bigger than her he was and it made her feel small and precious as those hands spanned and rubbed along her back before one gripped her hair to change the angle of the kiss and the other banded along her lower back pulling her tighter against him and up on her tip toes as he deepened the kiss again.

He ravished her mouth until she had lost all other thought except how his body felt up against her, his hands as they roamed with arrogance along her body as if he already owned every part of her, and the point of connection at their mouths…wishing with aching need that they were connected at other points too.

Pulling back just as suddenly as he had grabbed her, Severus Snape looked down at her with smug satisfaction and domineering arrogance. She knew she must look well mussed with her hair in disarray, her cheeks flushed, and her lips swollen from his kisses.

"Just keep in mind that the little one may have the power to tame the savage potions master with just her words but her mother is going to have to watch her own mouth. Your words only seem to make me want to take you…savagely…until you are tamed and meek and pliant to my satisfaction and under my hands. Do be mindful…Miss Granger…that you do not take on more than you can handle."

Her inner Gryffindor hearing the challenge in his voice began to rise to the surface, her inner Ravenclaw reminding her that he was a Slytherin and this was what he wanted. Thankfully it happened to be what she wanted to.

"A lioness is only tamed and pliant if she chooses to be. Keep that in mind when you issue your threats. This kitten comes with very sharp claws and a will that is just as stubborn as your own. You may end the game with me tamed and pliant for you…but you will be just as equally owned…Master Snape…so be just as mindful."

His eyes seemed to see right down into her soul and she felt an inferno in her core ignite like the one in his eyes. Both started to move towards the other…the intent very apparent in their eyes when a soft voice from the living room caused them both to freeze in place.

"Mama…did daddy help you get the duck food cause I'm all ready to go. I even have my walking cape on."

Hermione had to bite her lip to not giggle and the groan that slipped quietly from his lips made it that much harder. Leaning over her as he placed a hand on the shelf to either side of her head, he bent so his lips grazed her ear.

"We will finish this discussion later. I have no intention of leaving this house now that you have invited me in so sweetly my little minx. Without realizing it you gave me a witch to love and I plan to be the best father in the history of Prince Fathers'. But I'm a Slytherin and we can't help but be greedy and press our advantage where we can. I have one little witch to love but I would prefer if I could claim that little witch's mother as my own while I was at it. Now that I have tasted you Hermione…"

The look he gave her promised all manner of wicked things when the lights went off and she suddenly couldn't wait for the day to be over and the moon to climb high into the sky. He stepped back so that she could grab the feed, watching her bend over for a moment before turning and leaving the store room…his motions so familiar that she knew if he had been wearing his frock coat and robes he would have billowed. Taking a few deep breaths to get her body under control, Hermione followed him out and together they headed out toward the woods and creek behind the cottage to feed the ducks.

She had no idea how it was going to go or if they were even compatible outside of the obvious chemistry they had between them but as she watched him hold their daughter's hand and answer her multitude of questions and even laugh once at her ridiculously child-like exuberance she figured it didn't hurt to find out with a man as mysterious and viral as the formidable Severus Snape…even if it went down in flames…what a ride until the end.


	3. Update

**Hello my lovely readers!**

**Just wanted to drop a line and let you all know what is going on. No the coven did not break up or anything. We are still going strong lol. I have figured out that I am so busy with all the things I do that I do not put my all into logging on to a second account like I should. I loved this idea but I miss getting emails when a review or PM comes in for me and I don't get back to you guys fast enough.**

**So I decided I would be moving all my stories to my account so that I can get the emails and as I update I will know right away if anyone asks me a questions I need to answer.**

**You can find the stories and re-follow/favorite them on my personal profile:**

_TempestEDashon_

**I have plans to add a sequel/epilogue to pretty much all of these as I have been asked for them multiple times. I am almost done with one of them already. I hope to see you all back on my personal profile and look forward to your comments on the updates as they come.**

**Always**

**Tempest (aka Dash)**


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